Riverside County Bar Association PERMIT #1054 RIVERSIDE, CA 4129 Main .

by Jacqueline Carey-Wilson November 22, 2013, is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I was born on January 4, 1964, just a short time after his death. My parents named me “Jacqueline,” after my father, John Carey, who was called Jack in his youth. However, I have also thought that the image and romance of Jacqueline Kennedy somehow influenced my parents’ choice of name. I grew up in the shadow of the Kennedys and I remember seeing countless times: the replay of the film footage taken that tragic day; the funeral, with John F. Kennedy, Jr., saluting; Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”; the Cuban missile crisis; and John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, when he declared, “[A]sk not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” President Kennedy’s leadership inspired many to give back in their own communities and in communities far from home by joining organizations like the Peace Corps. It is fitting that we remember President Kennedy and his legacy as we focus in this issue of the Riverside Lawyer on the ways attorneys give back to our community. Time and time again, I am pleased to discover an attorney or judge donating time to one of the RCBA’s community projects or to another nonprofit organization in Riverside. When I have questioned their motivation for being involved, their responses vary. What does not change is the impact it has on their lives. The Elves Program is one of the RCBA’s community projects that has had a powerful effect on a number of members. Every person I have spoken to who has been involved with the Elves speaks enthusiastically about the lives they have touched and the positive influence the experience has had on their own lives. In this issue, Brian Pearcy explains what the Elves Program is and how RCBA members can help meet its goal of delivering gifts, food, and holiday cheer to families in our community who are struggling. Riverside Legal Aid, also known as the Public Service Law Corporation, is dedicated to bringing legal services to those in need. During the October general membership meeting, members who had donated over 50 hours of service to Riverside Legal Aid were recognized. They donated their time at the clinics operated by Riverside Legal Aid or represented a client pro bono to resolve the client’s legal dispute. In this issue, Diane Roth, the executive director of Riverside Legal Aid, recognizes members who have donated their time to the clinics and describes how other members can help. Project Graduate is an RCBA program that was started in conjunction with the Superior Court of Riverside County. Project Graduate targets foster youth and helps them develop a plan for achieving their educational and career goals. In this issue, Kellie Husted, Luis Lopez, Ashley Sedaghat, and Robert Rancourt highlight some current participants in the program and describe how RCBA members can help foster youth in our community. The RCBA reading program for elementary school children was started by Theresa Savage when she was president. In this program, the RCBA works with the Riverside Unified School District to select an elementary school in an economically disadvantaged area to which members can donate money to purchase books for the school library. Members can also volunteer to read to children at the school. This program has been inactive for several years, but the RCBA will revive the program this coming March, which is National Reading Month. We hope many will want to assist with this incredible program. Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 3

The high school mock trial program is another area where members can donate their time and talent. Across the county, high school mock trial teams, with the assistance of volunteer attorney coaches, prepare the same case for trial. The mock trial teams then compete against each other in rounds organized at various courthouses in the county from January to March. The April edition of the Riverside Lawyer is dedicated to mock trial. Year after year, attorneys and students write about their experiences with the program and how it has had a profound impact on their lives. I encourage everyone to donate their time to score at least one round this year. You will be amazed by the experience. Another way that members can help is by donating money and supporting fundraisers for RCBA community projects, like the ones I just described. Last month, the RCBA hosted a fundraiser at Farrell’s restaurant in Riverside. District Attorney Paul Zellerbach, Public Defender Steve Harmon, Riverside Mayor Rusty Baily, Riverside City Council member Paul Davis, Riverside City Council candidates Valerie Hill and Mike Soubirous, along with Neil Okazaki, Marie Myers, Scott Talkov, Daniel Nickfardjam, Gina Maple, Kelly Morgan, and Jean Serrano greeted, seated, and served meals during the event. The RCBA raised more than 650 for our community projects. The RCBA thanks everyone who joined us for this special evening. I also want to thank board members Diana Renteria and Alexandra Fong for organizing this exceptional fundraiser. We hope to have more fun fundraisers like this in the future. Asking members to help with one of the RCBA’s community projects is, for the most part, preaching to the choir. Attorneys who read the magazine and who are interested in what is happening in the organization are the members who are already giving back in one form or another. Thank you for all your efforts with our community projects. Your work really does make a difference. Making a difference mattered 50 years ago to President John F. Kennedy as he struggled to pass sweeping civil rights legislation. This legislation did not pass during his life, but support for the legislation was galvanized after his tragic death. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of Congress and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. One year later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination in voting, was enacted in a similar fashion. Is the Voting Rights Act still needed today? On November 15 at noon, at the RCBA’s general membership meeting, a panel of scholars will discuss the Voting Rights Act and try to answer that question. The Federal Bar Association, Inland Empire Chapter, is co-sponsoring the event. I hope you will join us for this important discussion. Jacqueline Carey-Wilson is a deputy county counsel with San Bernardino County, editor of the Riverside Lawyer, and past president of the Federal Bar Association, Inland Empire Chapter. 4 Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 Julia Wilson, Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Doug Wilson, and Grace Wilson Janet Tranbarger and Judge Gary Tranbarger, David Werner and Ginger Werner Councilman Paul Davis, Marie Myers, Alexandra Fong, and Mayor Rusty Bailey Adrienne Bennett, Marcos A. Reynoso, Marcos Reynoso and Brian Pearcy (from L-R) Diana Renteria, Megan Younger, Harlow Rivera, Judge Becky Dugan, Jean Younger, Temperance Rivera, Victor Rivera.

Public Defender Steve Harmon, Assistant Public Defender Chad Firetag with Will, Nate, Tori and Luke Firetag Justice Bart Gaut, Merla Gaut, Ann DeWolfe and Bill DeWolfe RCBA thanks everyone who participated in the successful fundraiser at Farrell’s! Mayor Rusty Bailey Will and Nate Firetag Mayor Rusty Bailey and family Daniel Nickfardjam and Scott Talkov Councilman Paul Davis, Vit Liskutin and Jane Liskutin Judge Woody Rich and Diana Renteria photos by Jacqueline Carey-Wilson Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 5

Barristers President’s Message by Kelly A. Moran Throughout my career, I have learned that the greatest level of success is accomplished when people work together for a common goal. From jumping in to lend a helping hand to others in your office, to working with opposing counsel in a professional and courteous manner, the end result is always easier to reach, and tends to be much more cost-effective, when everyone is willing to work together, versus against each other. Another benefit to teamwork is that you draw from each person his or her individual strengths. This is truly the case with the Barristers board as well as the group as a whole. I am so very fortunate to have an amazing board with various interests, talents, and areas of expertise that they are willing and able to share with us all. In planning for this year, each of the board members volunteered to organize and host a meeting that reflects an area of law that he or she is interested in, has experience in, or exhibits his or her individual strengths in some way. Past President Amanda Schneider did an amazing job of this with the October “Women in the Law” event, which brought together prominent women attorneys in the community who were able to share their experiences, stories, and words of wisdom with all Barristers in attendance. Our November event, which will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on November 14, 2013, is the brainchild of our Member-at-Large and former President Scott Talkov. Scott took the challenge of organizing this year’s ethics event and ran with it, electing to focus the meeting on criminal ethics in an effort to introduce members to an area of the law that is not as widely practiced within the Barristers community. The event itself will be held in the District Attorney’s Office, 10th Floor Training Room, and will feature a presentation by the ultimate criminal ethics team: District Attorney Paul Zellerbach and Public Defender Steven Harmon. We are incredibly fortunate to have these two prominent members of the legal community as our speakers for the ethics presentation this year. This is truly an event that should not be missed, and I look forward to welcoming many new faces from the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, and private criminal law offices. In addition to the presentation by District Attorney Paul Zellerbach and Public Defender Steven Harmon, the November 14, 2013 Barristers event will also feature an introduction by the Honorable Virginia A. Phillips of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. We are honored to have Judge Phillips at our event and welcome the opportunity for all in attendance to learn more about the Joint 6 Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 Federal Pro Se Clinic and how we can offer support and assistance to this organization. As always, additional information concerning this event and all future meetings can be found at the Barristers’ website (riversidebarristers.org) and on our Facebook page (“Riverside County Barristers Association”). I look forward to seeing you all in November and always welcome the opportunity to work with you in order to make this organization the best that it can be. Kelly Moran, the 2013-2014 President of Barristers, is an associate at Thompson & Colegate, where she practices in the areas of public agency representation, personal injury defense, and probate litigation.

Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 7

Project Graduate Gives Back by Robert Rancourt Did you know that 45 percent of foster youth in Riverside County do not complete high school? Did you also know that once these children turn 18, they usually are “aged out” of the system with minimal resources and little preparation for the challenges of adulthood? Designed to address and improve this situation, Project Graduate – now in its third year – is a joint effort of the Riverside County Superior Court, certain county agencies, and the bar association to assist at-risk foster youth in Riverside County to graduate from high school and become productive community members. Foster student candidates for the program usually are referred by a system stakeholder, such as the court or the child’s social worker, or even by word of mouth (for example, this year, one student enrolled because his older brother graduated from the program last year). The student decides whether he or she would like to participate in this voluntary program. If so, he or she is matched with a responsible adult (usually from the legal community) who is screened by the court and county and who agrees to commit to be the child’s “educational representative” and mentor – a significant volunteer commitment. The educational representative title is important, as it is a statutory designation limiting the rights of the child’s parents to participate in the child’s education and instead giving these rights to the volunteer Project Graduate representative. The adult and student then work together toward completing a plan for graduation from high school, and they are assisted by the other participants (adults and children) in the program, including the juvenile court bench officer, who oversees the student’s progress. As students move forward, they are rewarded with incentives to keep them motivated, such as laptop computers, department store gift cards, or other education-related items, as resources permit. So far, three foster students have participated in and successfully graduated from the program! Still, the need remains, and, each year, more children and more adult volunteers have signed up, especially as news of the program spreads. Some of the program’s current participants are described below. However, this worthy program needs your help to continue its important mission. Please consider getting involved, whether by volunteering to participate in the program as an educational representative and 8 Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 mentor or as a Steering Committee member or by making a cash donation to be used for the student participants. Kellie Husted Staff Accountant Best Best & Krieger, LLP Ms. Husted, a veteran of the program with one successful graduate already, has a new student who is a senior at Patriot High School in Jurupa Valley. Her foster child joined Project Graduate last March. Coming into the program, Ms. Husted’s foster child had good attendance but was deficient in credits, and his grades were suffering. He also was quiet and shy and lacked confidence, often muttering one-word sentences. Since then, he has worked hard to bring up his grades from Cs and Ds to As and Bs, and he has managed to achieve even better attendance. The boost in his confidence is obvious as he speaks in full sentences and shares his dreams. When he graduates, for instance, he wants to join the Marines. Ms. Husted has no doubt that he will succeed with that dream. Luis E. Lopez and Ashley Sedaghat Attorneys Law Office of Luis E. Lopez Luis Lopez and Ashley Sedaghat have teamed up – once again – as the educational representatives and mentors for a foster child who is new to the program this school year. He is a senior at Corona High School and is almost 17 years old. He is the younger brother of one of the other Project Graduate youths who successfully graduated from high school this past school year. His older brother is obviously now a great role model for their new student. Mr. Lopez and Ms. Sedaghat hope to continue the success of the program. They met their new foster child informally at the end-of-the-year celebration party for his brother (and the program’s other successful graduate) and are looking forward to spending more time getting to know him and helping him through his final year in high school. Now that they have the appropriate court order in place allowing them to step in as his educational representatives, they plan to meet with their new foster child and also his academic counselor at school to devise a plan for the upcoming year. Mr. Lopez and Ms. Sedaghat report being hopeful for many good things to come for their new

student and look forward to providing a further update as the school year progresses. Robert L. Rancourt, Jr. Deputy Public Defender Law Offices of the Public Defender County of Riverside I am fortunate to have had one prior graduate in the program already, and the student for whom I am delighted currently to serve as an educational representative and mentor is a 17-year-old senior attending a public high school. He has been a foster child and dependent of the juvenile court for many years. He has met his biological father, but the father has not been involved in his life. In fact, for most of his life, his natural father was incarcerated and not even known to the child. Although the child knows his biological mother, she, too, has been incarcerated and not involved in the child’s life for most of his life. Consequently, although this child has known and sometimes stayed with relatives or family friends, he mostly grew up in foster care, placements, and group homes. Challenged by this upbringing, the child found school difficult, sometimes got into trouble at school, and eventually appeared in juvenile delinquency court, shortly after which he heard about and volunteered to participate in Project Graduate, as a result of which I was introduced to him a few months ago. I have come to know this young man as having great potential, a thought which has been echoed to me by administrators, counselors, and teachers at the child’s school and also by his guardian, caretakers, and social worker. No doubt “it takes a village to raise a child,” and everyone has tried to lead and direct the child to stay in school and see his true potential. It is a challenge. When he is applying himself, the sky is the limit. For example, last year, the student had a B grade-point average and was a formidable player on the school’s basketball court, seemingly advancing easily to his senior year. However, in prior years, he had failed several courses and chosen not to be involved in school sports. Thus, the child remains behind in the number of credits necessary to graduate from high school. This year, the program is seeing the child’s “ebbs and flows.” At the beginning of the year, the student was highly motivated, registered for the maximum class schedule, and signed up to play basketball. However, as the year has progressed, he has not always given 100% of what he is capable of. He has chosen to violate the law and school rules sometimes and, as a result, has gotten himself suspended from school on a few occasions. Still, knowledge that it will not always be “smooth sailing” is the reality. So, too, for any parent, guardian, or responsible adult trying to guide or mentor a child. Regardless, Project Graduate remains available to this teenager, and the program is fortunate that so many in the Riverside legal community continue to give back. Bob Rancourt has been a Deputy Public Defender with the Law Offices of the Public Defender, County of Riverside, for the last 11 years. He serves as a member of the Mock Trial and Project Graduate Steering Committees of the Riverside County Bar Association, and has been volunteering in one form or another since becoming a lawyer in 1997. RIVERSIDE LEGAL AID (Public Service Law Corporation) NOW HIRING Part-Time Bankruptcy Attorney PSLC is now accepting résumés for a part-time staff attorney position to advise pro se litigants in its self-help clinic in Riverside, 8-10 hours/week. Qualified candidates must be admitted to Central District Bankruptcy Court, have a minimum of 2 years experience in Chapters 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Law and familiarity with adversary proceedings. Salary: 2,000/month Please email résumé and writing sample to publaw@sbcglobal.net Riverside Lawyer, November 2013 9

Junior League of Riverside – Celebrating 85 Years of

Riverside County LAWYER Riverside County Bar Association 4129 Main St., Ste. 100, Riverside, CA 92501 RCBA 951-682-1015 LRS 951-682-7520 www.riversidecountybar.com rcba@riversidecountybar.com PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #1054 RIVERSIDE, CA DRS is the approved mediation service for the Riverside County Superior Court.